As he preps his new Lord of the Rings prequel movie, director Andy Serkis shares how fans will see a different Aragorn than we’ve come to know.
Right now, Serkis is planning not just to return as Gollum but to direct the upcoming Hunt for Gollum feature film. Set between The Hobbit and the LOTR trilogy, it shows how Gollum began hunting Bilbo for the One Ring, only to be captured by Sauron’s forces with Gandalf and Aragorn among those trying to find him first.
The cast is notable for many returning faces, including Ian McKellen as Gandalf, Lee Pace as Thranduil, and Elijah Wood as Frodo, among others. However, Viggo Mortensen won’t be returning as Aragorn, with the role now played by Jamie Dornan.
Aragorn is at a “different part of his journey” in The Hunt for Gollum
Speaking to Mashable, Serkis discussed how the switch to a new actor fits, as this is a younger and different Aragorn than fans know.
"We're calling him Strider in our movie. He is at a different point in his journey, so he is slightly different to the Aragorn that we see later on," Serkis stated. "It's a version of himself that's been out in the wilderness as a Dúnedain Ranger. I'll leave it at that for the moment, but Jamie is perfect for this part of the journey of the character."
It should be remembered that at this point in the timeline, Aragorn is denying his destiny as the future king of Gondor. He prefers being a Ranger and a man of action. It’s possible the movie might touch on his romance with Arwen, but nothing is confirmed (including whether Liv Tyler would be part of the cast or not).
Dornan has big shoes to fill to come close to matching Mortensen’s performance as Aragorn and the gravitas he brought to the part. It only adds to the questions about the film, along with fan concerns.
Is this movie a nostalgia grab?
The film has already sparked online discourse among Tolkien buffs, much of it skeptical. Some question if this is even a story that needs to be told at all. There’s also the addition of Kate Winslet as Marigol and Leo Woodall as Halvard, two brand-new characters not named in Tolkien’s work.
To LOTR buffs, this is reminiscent of how The Hobbit created the character of Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly), which was criticized, along with the various links between those movies and LOTR that many felt were too over the top. Serkis seemed to address that in this interview, insisting this film isn’t just a cash grab but meant to expand the franchise.
"The story, and therefore how we see the story, is different and unique to this particular tale. It's not just a nostalgia film," Serkis shared. "We're seeing plenty of those, and laying heavily into the nostalgia and the things that we loved about those movies of 25 and 30 years ago. [The Hunt for Gollum] adheres to that world, but it certainly has a freshness and a newness in terms of the actual story."
We’ll see how it works out, although Serkis's words do make us feel a bit more hopeful.
The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum premieres on December 17, 2027.
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